Vanilla Essentials for RTW

Vanilla Essentials V1.02 by Nebuchadnezzar

For vetenary Rome Total War players who prefer a Vanilla style empire building pace.

Download: Vanilla Essentials

Vanilla Essentials is an add-on for the vanilla (unmodded) version of the Rome Total War game. It combines several important mini-mods that eliminate serious bugs and balance issues in the original game as well as significantly improve campaign battles and gameplay. The result is a game that RTW should have been providing a richer, deeper and slower paced campaign that Empire builders will find most rewarding. Play on Hard or Very Hard for best challenge.

WHAT IT DOES

COMBINES 3 VANILLA MODS

Bug-fixer: (Player 1) Corrects many problems that existed in the original game and is regarded by many veteran players as "The Essential Patch".

Sinuhets formations: (Sinuhet) Greatly improves battles and in my opinion the best formation mod for vanilla RTW.

Mercenary XPak: (Nebuchadnezzar) A feature packed mercenary add-on that greatly improves on gameplay.

CORRECTS BALANCING ISSUES

Britons will no longer conquer all of Europe so easily. Britons loose Eburacum to Rebels but this is easily taken by human player on the first move. Attack has been slightly lowered for British Heavy chariots.

Macedonia looses Corinth but gains Athens. Greek Cities loose Thermon but gain Corinth. This gives a much better survivability to the Greek Cities. A moderate Thermon garrison (Rebels) provide a temporary buffer from the Brutii juggernaut.

Egypt loose Salamis & Sidon to Rebels. This gives a temporary buffer to the Seleucids while they build up. Unfortunately this does not guarantee their survivability due to their vulnerable position.

A lowered growth rate (-45%) for all cities. You will no longer be able to blitz + exterminate across the map. Enslavement will become king and farming upgrades essential.

IMPROVEMENTS IN GAMEPLAY

Fewer Rebels popping up.

Corruption triggers raised from 50k, 100k & 150k to 100k, 200k & 300k respectively.

Reduced chances of gaining gambling trait from taverns (Barbarians).

Lower chance of gaining Embezzler trait from Mercury temple (Brutii).

Screeching women available at 2nd & 3rd level Freyja temple (Germania) to avoid AI spamming.

Get on with the task of building your Empire not popping endless Rebel peasants or dealing with absurd levels of squalor and corruption.

REQUIREMENTS

Rome Total War V1.5 or V1.6 Barbarian Invasion. This mod will not work with any major mods.

This mod is not save game compatable with any previous saves of any version. You must start a new campaign.

Play on hard or very hard for best challenge.

No special installation instructions are required as it is self installing.

SUPPORT

This mod has been fully tested over several extended campaigns and to my knowledge is bug free, however it may still be possible for something to show up.
NOTE: The first requirement is a clean install of RTW patched to V1.5. If you don't have this or you tend to hand modify files on the fly then please re-install RTW, the required patches and then the mod and try again.

No uninstall is provided however original files are provided with this package should you wish to revert at any time.

FEEDBACK & SUPPORT
Your comments and suggestions are welcome.

CONDITIONS OF USE
This is a compilation of several mods. You will need to contact the makers of the specific mods if you wish to include these changes (whether in part or in whole) in other public modifications.

No other restrictions apply. Vanilla players are free to edit files to suit their style of play.

Special thanks to Player 1 & Sinuhet for permission to incorporate their great work.

Nebuchadnezzar